Thoughts on … Authentic Organizations

We are hearing this word “authentic” more and more. In recent discussions with the truth-demanding under-35s, the millenials, I hear an insistent demand for authenticity – to be what you really are. Their outrage is not at the truth of the organization’s purpose, but at its falsehood. Pretending one reality but living another. Brand – that which we claim as public identity, must match Culture – that which describes the inner reality of the organization. Not a new idea, to be sure, but now compelling and timely. Authentic organizations are simply what they say they are. No one gets to fake authenticity.